1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate table used in an applying process in which a tape is applied to a substrate, and to a chip manufacturing method that manufactures chips by using the substrate table.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, substrates have become thinner due to demands for compactness, lighter weight, and the like. Further, there are cases in which substrates are coated in order to increase the added value. Due to these processes, the substrate may warp.
There is proposed a substrate table having positioning pins which, even if a substrate warps, position the substrate that is placed on the substrate stage, and further, suppress the warping of the substrate (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-235386).
In more detail, the positioning pins that project from the substrate stage of the substrate table are formed in conical shapes in which the substrate stage sides of the pins are narrowed. By pushing the positioning pins toward the placed substrate from the periphery of the substrate, the edge portions of the substrate are pushed against the substrate stage along the conical surfaces of the positioning pins. In this way, the warping of the substrate is corrected, and the position of the substrate is determined.
By correcting the warping and determining the position of the substrate in this way, problems due to poor positioning of the substrate are prevented.
However, when an attempt is made to apply dicing tape or protective tape or the like to one surface of the substrate by using this substrate table, the conical positioning pins are a hindrance, and the tape cannot be applied.